- :
- MSP 1145
CR3 sells bracket relocation kits
[DEFUNCT] The College-Budget P5
- Thread starter Riot_Polizei
- Start date
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
I guess I bought the wrong bracket relocation kit then, huh? I didn't do enough research, and assumed that AWR's relocation kit would stop any crazy clunks.
Also, are there any aftermarket bushing U-brackets out there that are beefier than stock?
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
The CD-Drive component of my OEM head unit finally died. It won't take CDs anymore; it took one I placed inside, printed "CHECK" to the screen, and from that point onward, never accepted any CDs. It feels like something's jammed in there, or like the little CD feed servos are bollocks'd up.
Shoot, guess I got to find some cheap-but-decent non-paper speakers in order to get a new head unit too, huh? Would hate to replace what I have, only to blow out the aging speakers.
If I'm to get a new head unit, I'll get a double-din. That way, I can search around for a radio trim piece with space for some gauges. I'll turn this into a multi-result project to be completed over winter break, or something.
Gauges, though, is something I gotta think about. If I have two spaces, I'll go with oil pressure and temperature, since an oil sandwich adapter provides the outputs for those. If I have three, I'll throw in a battery gauge. The oil ones are what I'm most concerned with, and the battery gauge seems the easiest to implement. Ideally, I'd go with a coolant temperature gauge, but I've no clue how to install one of those with my setup.
Oh well, until then, it's silence accompanied by the incessant bracket creak in the rear :^(
(Radio here sucks balls...no good stations)
Shoot, guess I got to find some cheap-but-decent non-paper speakers in order to get a new head unit too, huh? Would hate to replace what I have, only to blow out the aging speakers.
If I'm to get a new head unit, I'll get a double-din. That way, I can search around for a radio trim piece with space for some gauges. I'll turn this into a multi-result project to be completed over winter break, or something.
Gauges, though, is something I gotta think about. If I have two spaces, I'll go with oil pressure and temperature, since an oil sandwich adapter provides the outputs for those. If I have three, I'll throw in a battery gauge. The oil ones are what I'm most concerned with, and the battery gauge seems the easiest to implement. Ideally, I'd go with a coolant temperature gauge, but I've no clue how to install one of those with my setup.
Oh well, until then, it's silence accompanied by the incessant bracket creak in the rear :^(
(Radio here sucks balls...no good stations)
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
As great as this info is, I beat you to the punch :^)
I impatiently mashed the eject button since the unit kept cutting off the radio (by trying to load an invisible CD), and after that, I hit a bump in the road. That bump cleared the CD jam, and now it's fully functional again!
Still thinking about an upgrade in the future, though...
I impatiently mashed the eject button since the unit kept cutting off the radio (by trying to load an invisible CD), and after that, I hit a bump in the road. That bump cleared the CD jam, and now it's fully functional again!
Still thinking about an upgrade in the future, though...
Minor clunk on harder turns. Happened before the relocation brackets though.
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
I got a lead on a IM with the VTCS removed, and various other parts from a totaled and turbo'd protege5.
Gotta be wary of what I install on the car though, since I intend on joining the SCCA alongside the time attack next season. Too many mods on my car, and I'll end up competing with cars that completely outclass me. I gotta stay within the STS category, as that's where I'm poised to be classed in. I don't want to take off all my mods and join the completely stock class :^)
Gotta be wary of what I install on the car though, since I intend on joining the SCCA alongside the time attack next season. Too many mods on my car, and I'll end up competing with cars that completely outclass me. I gotta stay within the STS category, as that's where I'm poised to be classed in. I don't want to take off all my mods and join the completely stock class :^)
Deep on the protg FAQ website http://www.protegefaq.net/ there's a note under suspension bushings that mentions the rear strut floats around due to soft strut mounts and it makes a clunking noise. There's a quick fix involving m12 washers. It might not be all of your problem but it might help quieten it down
Building a car to a strict rulebook sounds like it could be a heap of fun!
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
Definitely worth a try, but I do wonder if it'll help me any, since it states that this is a fix for the sedan and not the P5. To my knowledge, the OEM bushing brackets that link up to the subframe are not strong enough to support a beefier swaybar, and thus contort under operating conditions. The clunking is actually a shearing contortion force applied to the rear brackets, and part of the noise is them rubbing hard against the bushings themselves.
As for building a car to a set of standards, it's going to be challenging in the sense that I have to bite my lip in regards to desired mods! Sometime down the line, I want to install a lightweight flywheel along with some new belts, but I'm not sure if that's legal for the classification I'm a candidate for. Either way, I can't wait until I can get behind the wheel on a course again...
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
Clunks are still going! They're only annoying, thankfully, and nothing else.
I'm going to try a couple different solutions to see if I get anywhere:
1. Purchase Energy Suspension brackets and bend them to fit the AWR relocation brackets
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
2. If #1 fails, investigate custom fabrication bushing brackets.
3. If #2 is more expensive than this option, investigate the rear subframe swap (for an MSP). I've been introduced to the concept before, and to my knowledge, this allows for OEM-style (?) beefier endlinks and bushings without a bunch of clunk-fix hoops to jump through. If I go this route, it would be a good time to upgrade the lateral links as well.
I'm currently awaiting a paypal invoice for the VTCS-less IM. Guy was friendly and told me I only had to worry about paying shipping.
Weather has been too cold and crappy to work on the car, so I've yet to screw with the fuel evap system yet.
The open "street scene" (not my school's car club) around here took a turn for the crazy and dangerous, so I'm never going to go out to those ever again. Some wackjob gangbangers showed up with the intent to incite a fight a couple meets back, and guns got pulled and fired. Thankfully, I wasn't there and no one got hurt, but man does that deeply upset me. I wish people could just leave each other alone and find commonality in the car scene instead of using it to fuel feuds.
With that behind me, I'm still enjoying the heck out of my car, even if I misconstrue it's mechanical health! Always such a pleasure to send it around corners. It's not a particularly powerful car, so the only thing that matters is how it handles.
Everyone in this town has a one-track mind: fast going forward, and that's it. A little while ago, some idiot in a Golf R wouldn't quit tailgating me on the way to school, so I decided to put him through his paces to see if he knew how to handle the thing. There's a nice upward-sloping lightly-contoured turn onto the road where the school's located, and it would be where I'd lose him. It's a little narrow, but with good spacial awareness and accuracy to drive your FL wheel barely over the shoulder, you can fly up that thing.
Sure enough, as we approach the turn, I see him hit the brakes and finally give me some space. I downshifted into third, putting me at about 4kRPMs or so, and floored it and flew up the hill as mightily as the FS-DE let me. By the time the turn straightened out, there was about a 5-6 car gap between us, and I had strong-armed my breathing room back from him. Of course, as I got onto the main road, he sped past me at WOT and got in front of me, not wanting to be outdone.
And that's the kind of type of joy that made me truly fall in love with this thing. Damn can you hang in with the "big boys" in the corners, if not flat-out wallop them with a P5! If I get some more power (and tighten the nut holding the wheel some more, ha ha), this thing will be an absolute monster!
I'm going to try a couple different solutions to see if I get anywhere:
1. Purchase Energy Suspension brackets and bend them to fit the AWR relocation brackets
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
2. If #1 fails, investigate custom fabrication bushing brackets.
3. If #2 is more expensive than this option, investigate the rear subframe swap (for an MSP). I've been introduced to the concept before, and to my knowledge, this allows for OEM-style (?) beefier endlinks and bushings without a bunch of clunk-fix hoops to jump through. If I go this route, it would be a good time to upgrade the lateral links as well.
I'm currently awaiting a paypal invoice for the VTCS-less IM. Guy was friendly and told me I only had to worry about paying shipping.
Weather has been too cold and crappy to work on the car, so I've yet to screw with the fuel evap system yet.
The open "street scene" (not my school's car club) around here took a turn for the crazy and dangerous, so I'm never going to go out to those ever again. Some wackjob gangbangers showed up with the intent to incite a fight a couple meets back, and guns got pulled and fired. Thankfully, I wasn't there and no one got hurt, but man does that deeply upset me. I wish people could just leave each other alone and find commonality in the car scene instead of using it to fuel feuds.
With that behind me, I'm still enjoying the heck out of my car, even if I misconstrue it's mechanical health! Always such a pleasure to send it around corners. It's not a particularly powerful car, so the only thing that matters is how it handles.
Everyone in this town has a one-track mind: fast going forward, and that's it. A little while ago, some idiot in a Golf R wouldn't quit tailgating me on the way to school, so I decided to put him through his paces to see if he knew how to handle the thing. There's a nice upward-sloping lightly-contoured turn onto the road where the school's located, and it would be where I'd lose him. It's a little narrow, but with good spacial awareness and accuracy to drive your FL wheel barely over the shoulder, you can fly up that thing.
Sure enough, as we approach the turn, I see him hit the brakes and finally give me some space. I downshifted into third, putting me at about 4kRPMs or so, and floored it and flew up the hill as mightily as the FS-DE let me. By the time the turn straightened out, there was about a 5-6 car gap between us, and I had strong-armed my breathing room back from him. Of course, as I got onto the main road, he sped past me at WOT and got in front of me, not wanting to be outdone.
And that's the kind of type of joy that made me truly fall in love with this thing. Damn can you hang in with the "big boys" in the corners, if not flat-out wallop them with a P5! If I get some more power (and tighten the nut holding the wheel some more, ha ha), this thing will be an absolute monster!
Last edited:
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
Finals are over!
I have Energy Suspension brackets + bushings on the way. It's the non-greaseable 20mm type, so while it will fit properly, I'll have to re-grease them every couple months. Cannot wait to stop the creaking, though.
I thought I secured a VTCS-less intake manifold, but the guy never followed up. That was less than a month ago, so I'll be getting it from somewhere else.
To top it all off, due to popular demand, the Time Attack series I compete in announced a fun event for this Sunday! Lots of people wanted a winter event of some caliber, and we got it. I am so eager to put that swaybar to the test...
I have Energy Suspension brackets + bushings on the way. It's the non-greaseable 20mm type, so while it will fit properly, I'll have to re-grease them every couple months. Cannot wait to stop the creaking, though.
I thought I secured a VTCS-less intake manifold, but the guy never followed up. That was less than a month ago, so I'll be getting it from somewhere else.
To top it all off, due to popular demand, the Time Attack series I compete in announced a fun event for this Sunday! Lots of people wanted a winter event of some caliber, and we got it. I am so eager to put that swaybar to the test...
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
The energy suspension brackets didn't work like I had hoped:
(Image)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xonFwNPLoHjj0qUtXh4P9lCClq0QTydV
One side bolted up fine, but the additional width of the bushings and brackets meant that the other side wouldn't slot in properly. There's just a tiny amount of offset...
(Video comparing both brackets)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CrsXNtL8A4HaLQTBuXeEDD_j5myLcQSP
Stumped as to what I should do at this point. I thought about removing the AWR relocation brackets, but that wouldn't change where the brackets sit.
Either I get my hands on a set of CR3 relocation brackets, or I do the whole MSP subframe swap.
(Image)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xonFwNPLoHjj0qUtXh4P9lCClq0QTydV
One side bolted up fine, but the additional width of the bushings and brackets meant that the other side wouldn't slot in properly. There's just a tiny amount of offset...
(Video comparing both brackets)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CrsXNtL8A4HaLQTBuXeEDD_j5myLcQSP
Stumped as to what I should do at this point. I thought about removing the AWR relocation brackets, but that wouldn't change where the brackets sit.
Either I get my hands on a set of CR3 relocation brackets, or I do the whole MSP subframe swap.
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
Definitely worth a shot. I'll break out the dremel tomorrow, but am somewhat concerned about whether or not it will weaken the material too much.
It's probably better than what I just jury-rigged up, which is one side with the 20mm bushing/big bracket and the other with the hogged-out 19mm bushing/OEM bracket.
At least, I found the source(s) of the clunking, and have it practically gone now. One endlink bottom connection wasn't tightened all the way, and one AWR relocation bracket lost a mounting nut. I tightened the former and replaced the latter with a nyloc nut.
Riot_Polizei
Comp Engineering Student
- :
- 2002 Mazda Protege5
End of the Year; Plan Actualization
Looks like I've managed another year with this car. Here's hoping for many more!
Little bonus picture: one of the original reasons why I gravitated towards a P5 :^)
Man, I hit the jackpot this Christmas. Not only did I get a sweet friggin Fender amp for my bass guitar, but I got a load of cash to use on my car. Nobody knew what the hell I was talking about in regards to various car parts or tools, so I just got cash for me to use instead. With this cash, I've an all-expenses covered upgrade package for:
But I also got to be honest...my car's battery finally died, so I need to get this fixed first. So perhaps not all my expenses are paid for heh
I got until the 21st to get anything done, but the real deadline is the 20th, which is the first Time Attack of 2019.
I'm also going to be investigating entering the SCCA, and going to be talking to some folks about the legality of a modified IM, ECU, etc. I read the rulebooks, and it doesn't look like I'd be too screwed.
Ah well, as always, it's been quite a journey. So glad I'm on the forum, as it's got a great community and a font of knowledge right there with it. See you all in the next year!
Looks like I've managed another year with this car. Here's hoping for many more!
Little bonus picture: one of the original reasons why I gravitated towards a P5 :^)
Man, I hit the jackpot this Christmas. Not only did I get a sweet friggin Fender amp for my bass guitar, but I got a load of cash to use on my car. Nobody knew what the hell I was talking about in regards to various car parts or tools, so I just got cash for me to use instead. With this cash, I've an all-expenses covered upgrade package for:
- Megan Lateral Links
- AWR Trailing Links
- A reservation for the next batch of CR3 relocation brackets
But I also got to be honest...my car's battery finally died, so I need to get this fixed first. So perhaps not all my expenses are paid for heh
I got until the 21st to get anything done, but the real deadline is the 20th, which is the first Time Attack of 2019.
I'm also going to be investigating entering the SCCA, and going to be talking to some folks about the legality of a modified IM, ECU, etc. I read the rulebooks, and it doesn't look like I'd be too screwed.
Ah well, as always, it's been quite a journey. So glad I'm on the forum, as it's got a great community and a font of knowledge right there with it. See you all in the next year!
- :
- -- 03 P5 / 23 CX-5 --
...........about that IM you seek...................fresh untouched one on the workbench just waiting around for you...................
